Automobile heater



NOV;0 7, 1939.' P BROWN l 2,179,322

AUT OM OB ILE HEATER Filed Nov. 19. 1937 many/M' Patented Nov. 7, 1939 i UNITED lSTATES PATENT yf'OFFlCE AUTOMOBILE HEATER v Perry Brown, Sherwood, N. Dak. Application November 19, 1937, Serial No. 175,441

. 6 claims.- (c1. z37-1z.sl\

'I'his invention relates to heaters for automob iles and other vehicles.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved automobile heater including a heating radiator and fan mounted to'drive air through the radiator and means for the rear extensions of the nipples 6 and vshortpipe sections I2 are in turn connected to the valves II and unions I3 are attached to the rear ends of the short pipe sections I2. Other pipe sections I4 are connected to the unions I3 and A,project rearwardly therefrom togconnect heating the radiator from the water circulating \\\\with\`other shut-,off valves I5. 'Ihe upper v alve system of an automobile or from an independent heat source, or by both.

A further object is to provide a novel automobile heater which can be employed for either forcing a Acirculation of warm air within a closed /body of an automobile or can be employed for forcing heated air about the engine of an automobile to preheat the engine for ease in starting in cold weather,

Another object is to provide a'water heater whichfcan be heated by the water circulating system of .an automobile or by an independent 4heat source, or by both, and which can be readily lremoved from the automobile and operated successfully for heating any desired space. The, objects and advantages ofthe invention will more fully appear from the following description, made! in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views. and in which, y Fig. 1 is a view taken chiefly in vertical sec- `tion through the dashboard of an automobile equipped with a heater embodying the invention, some of the parts being broken away and other parts being shown in section, and the heater being so disposed as to circulate air on and about the engine of the automobile;

Fig. 2' isa` vertical section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, as indicated by the arrows, and Fig. 3 is a view taken from the right of the V structure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, portions of the closed .interior body A of an automobile are shown including the. dashboard 4 which sepa-l rates the engine pit 5 from the interior chamber 5 4of the body. An .automobile engine 1 is indicated in dotted lines as being located in the engine pit 5 and the water circulating pump of the engine is also shown in dotted lines and designated by the numeral 8. r

In accordance with the invention a pair of nipples v9 are mounted in vertically spaced relationship in the dashboard 4,4 these nipples of course extending both forwardly and rearwardly from the dashboard and being secured thereto by nuts I0. Shut-oil valves II are connected to I5 is connected to a pipe section I6 having a downturned branch at its rear end and having an upturn'ed extension II which is open at its upper end to form an air and steam esca'pe for the radiator which will be presently described. The opening at the top of the extension I'I is preferably located slightly higherthan any other part of the'water circulating system of the automobile. Connected to the lowery valve I5 is a pipe section I8 forming an upturned elbow.

YSwivel joints I9, theupper one of which is shown in section in Fig. 1, connect the lower endofthe pipe section I6 and the upper end`A of the pipe section I8 respectively, to upper and lower` nipples 20 and 2| respectively of a hot water radiator assembly designated as an entirety by the letter B.

l'I'he radiator assembly B includesva casing 22' lforming at one side of the assembly a tank 26 for the storage of liqpid fuel such as gasoline and forming at the other side of the assembly preferably a chamber 24 which balances up the appearance of the radiator assembly. Extending between the fuel tank. 23 and the chamber 24 atthe top -of the casing 22 is an' upper header 25 for the radiator, this upper header being preterably comparatively narrow. At the lower'part of the casing 22 a lower header 26 extendsbetween the fueltank 23 and the chamber 24 and this' header 26 is preferably considerably wider than the upper header 25 and it proects preferably rearwardly of the header 25. A plurality of fin-equipped vertical water tubes 21 extend between the upper and lower headers 25 and 26 and connect therewith. In approximate aline-'- ment with the rear edges of the tubes 21, as

, viewed in Fig. 1, a baille 28 is provided in the lower header 26 and this baille r'uns down from mounted in the upper header 25 and the nipple 2| is mounted in the lower header 26.

Forward and rearward of the water tubes 21 the casing 22 is open but at the rear of these water tubes, as viewed in Fig. 1, a cross bar 30 extends across the opening and mounted on this cross bar is a small electric motor 3| having a motor shaft 32 to which a fan 33 is attached, this fan working adjacent the rear side of the watertubes 21 and being pitched to force air forwardly around the tubes 21. The forward opening in the casing 22 is adapted to be closed by a pair of doors 34 secured as by hinges 35 to the front of the casing 22. y

In line with the front opening in the casing 22 there is an opening 46 formed in the dashboardl 4 and this opening 46 is adapted to be closed by doors 41 secured as by hinges 48 to the dashboard 44. Asbest shown in Fig. 1, the spacing of the swivel joints I9 from the dashboard 4 is such that when the radiator assembly B is turned, as shown in Fig. 1, to face forwardly and the doors '34` and 41 are swung open, the doors may be brought into substantial alinement with their adjaent edges almost in abutment to form lateralconning members which assist in conveying heated air from the radiator assembly B forwardly through the dashboard opening 46 into the engine pit 5 to strike the engine and circulate therearound.

Connected to the bottom of the casing 22 is a strap 49on which is mounted a liquid fuel burner 50 preferably of the type for burning vaporized gasoline and for vaporizing the gasoline prior to delivery from the burner head before burning.

This burner 5I) may be of any standard construction and, therefore, it is thought unnecessary to describe the same in detail. Suce it to say that the burner is controlled by a valve 5I and gasoline is supplied to the generator tube of the burner from the tank 23 by means of a fuel conduit 52. The tank 23 is closed at its upper end by a filler plug 53 carrying therein an air pump 54 after the manner of the fuel tanks for gasoline stoves whereby air may be pumpedinto the fuel tank 23 to put the liquid fuel therein under air pressure. A vertical plate 55 preferably extends downwardly from the v lower header 26 to the lower part of the strap 49 forward of the burner 5U.

The two nipples 9 are connected to the water circulating system of the automobile in any suitable vmanner. As shown, the upper nipple is connected by a hose 56 with the water jacket of the engine 1 and the lower nipple 9 is connected by a hose 51 with the water pump 8.

The upper nipple 9, valve II, pipe section I2,

union I3, pipe section I4, valve I5, pipe section I6 and swivel joint I9 form an upper supporting 50 conduit which may be designated as an entirety by the letter C for swivelly supporting the upper end ofthe radiator assembly B, and at the same time afford communication between the water circulating system and the radiator of the radi- 55 ator assembly. Similarly, the lower nipple 9,

valve Il, pipe section I2, valve I3, pipe section I4, valve I5, pipe section I8 and swivel joint I9 form a lower supporting conduit which may be designated' as an entirety by the letter D for 70` swivelly supporting the lower part of the radiator assembly B and at the same time affording communication between the water circulating system of the automobile and the radiator of the radiator assembly.

75 The radiator of the radiator assembly can be heated either by hot water from the water circulating system of the automobile or it can be heated by the burner 50 or by both. In case it is desiredito lheat the radiator of the assembly B by the hot water of the cooling system either 5 alone or in conjunction with the burner 59; all

, the valves I I and I5 will be open. Water from the cooling system of the car will be supplied through the upper supporting conduit C to the upper header 25 and will pass on downwardly 1( through the water tubes 21 to the lower header 26 and thence out of the radiator through the' lower supporting conduit D. In case the burner 50 is not used, some water will also circulatefrom the upper header 25 through the tubes 29` 1c into the lower header 26. In case the burner 50 is put into service at the same time that hot water is being supplied to the radiator from the `water circulating system of the car, a slightly different type of circulation will take place in 2C the radiator of the radiator assembly B. The burner 58 is, of course, located below the rear portion of the lower header 26, as viewed in Fig. 1, and the burner will play on the header 26 to heat the water in the rear part of this 25 header. This' heated water will rise and move through the tubes 29 into the upper header 25, due partly to the provision of the baiiie 28 and due partly also to the general down movement of water in the tubes 21. Of course, themotor 30 driven fan 33 will be employed to force air rapidly through the radiator by movement of air around the tubes 21. Thus a blast of heated air will be delivered through the front opening in the casing 22, and by setting the doors 34 35 properly, direction can be given to the delivered Warm air.

Normally when the heater is to be used for heating the interior chamber B of the car body, the radiator assembly B will be swung on the 40 swivel joints i9 through 180 from the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the radiator assembly will face rearwardly to deliver heated air in the usual manner of most heaters into the interior chamber 6 of the automobile. By provision of 45 the burner 55 used in conjunction with the hot water from the water circulating system of the car, much more heat can be developed inthe radiator of the heater than would be the case if the hot Water from the water circulating sys- V50 tem alone were employed. Of course, the burner 50 alone -can be used .for heating the radiator and in such case, unless it is desired to heat the water of the circulating system of the car, the two valves I5 will preferably be closed. 'I'he 55 burner 50 playing on the lower header 26 will cause hot water to rise and pass thro h the tubes 29 into the upper header 25 an from the upper header the water will circulate ownwardly through the tubes 21 into the ower 60 header 26 and pass beneath the baille 28 td. the portion of the lower header 26 which is most intensely heated by the burner 50. The exten- .sion I.1 having an opening in its' upper end permits the escape of any air or steam from the radiator. V

It is often desirable to employ the burner 50 alone, inasmuch as by use of the burner alone to heat the radiator, the heater can be operated while the engine of the automobile is not running. Thus the interior of the car can be heated I.without running the engine. the various valves II and I5 are left open when the burner 50 alone is employedfor heating the l radiator, water heated by the burner 50 can be circulated 75 hcn throueh the water cooling system oi the enginev to prevent freezing of this water and to warm the motor parts before starting Vin extremely cold weather.

llrior to starting an automobile 'in extremely `cold weather, it is often desirable to heat the as shown in Fig. 1, the heater can be employed tor forcing air into the engine pit 5 and around the engine l. When the radiator assembly is swg to this position the doors 34 and I1 willy he opened and alined, as shown in Fig. ll', prei- 4erahly the valves I5 will be closed and the burner tt will he' employed for supplying the necessary heat to the heater. f

The radiator assembly B can be very easily re moved from the automobile lwithout necessarily draining the water from the said assembly and l the radiator assembly can then be utilized for iaeatiner any desired space. To remove the radi ator assembly, preferably all'the valves Il and ld will he closed whereupon the unions i3 can be quickly loosened and the radiator assembly E changes may be made in the form, details, ar

raneement and proportions or the various Aparte without departure from the scope of the presentV invention which, generally stated'. consists in the mattershown and described and setiorth in, the

appended claims. t

attention should perhaps be called tothe fact that there isa thermometer EI connected to the ,A upper header '25 of the radiator to permit the dit itil

temperature of 'the water in the ohserved.

What is claimed is: l. in an automotive vehicle.

radiator to be conduits mounted in said dashboard and pro'- iectina rearwardly therefrom, a hot water radiator located behind saidopening and swivelly oon- 4-nected to said conduits, and s. tan carried by said radiator and located at one side thereof to blow air therethrough whereby said i'anv and radiator can he turned to blow airthrough said opening in said dashboard and vsaid radiator and fan can he turned to blow air rearwardly from said dashhoard..

a dashboard havine an opening therethrouuh. a pair of water" 2. The structure deiined in claim 1, and an independent heater mounted for movement with said radiator and adapted to play on a portionv thereof to heat the same. v A

It. A vehicle heater comprising a radiator having upper and lower headers, finned tubes ex-` tending hetween the torward' portion of said lower header and said upper header, 'and other tubes extending hetween the rear portion of said lower header and said upper header, means for connecting said radiator Vwith the water 'circulating system oi a motor vehicle, valves for closing od said connections, 'an independent heating means carried hy said radiator and located lto supply heat to the rear portion of said lower header, a heide mounted in said lower header between the iront and rear portions thereof and protecting downwardly trom the top oi the lower header to within a short distance from the bottom of the lower header, and means fordirecting a current oi air against vsaid nned tubes d. lin an autohile, a dashboard having an opening therethrou, a pair of water conduits mounted on said dashhoard andprojecting rearwardly therefrom, a hot water radiator located rearwardly ol said opening and swivelly connected to said conduits, closure means for said openlng",v a lan carried hy said radiator and located 'at the rear thereof to blow air therethrough, clo- `connecticut.' said conduits with the water cooling system or said engine, a hot water radiator connected to said conduits, a tan mounted to blow air through said radiator, an independent heating means mounted to heat a portion ot said radiator, said conduits each including forward and rear shut-oi! valves and detachable connections between said valvs.

6. Ina heater ior an automotive vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine, a radiator, a fan mounted at one side of said radiator for movement therewith and for' forcing air therethrough. a pair of water conduits connected to said internal combustion engine and to said radiator to support thelatter, swivel Joints in said conduits adjacent said radiator,- valves in seid oondints, :md anindependent heater mount-V ed for movementwith said radiator and in heat exchange relationship therewith.

'emitir 

